1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to cross-member assemblies, especially those that are useful in earthworking equipment such as track and tire front loaders and the like.
2. Prior Art
Hollow tubular cross-members attached between parallel lateral supports are known to the art. It is also known to provide brackets which extend from such cross-members and which support pivot points at positions spaced laterally from the cross-members with the pivot support points serving to pivot a tilt lever or the like which controls the tilting of a bucket. Generally, such prior art cross-support assemblies have utilized a one-piece tubular cross-member and the brackets have been attached thereto by welding or otherwise attaching collars about the tubular member with the brackets extending outwardly from the collars. Thus, the prior art has not taught the use of internal gusseting, especially internal gusseting which is integral with the brackets which extend from the prior art cross-support assemblies.
The prior art collars which have attached the brackets to the cross-member have presented a serious problem in that they have extended significantly outwardly about the cross-support assembly and have thereby partially blocked the view of the bucket position as obtained by an operator of a construction vehicle. The prior art structures have also not exhibited sufficient resistance to buckling. Also, the prior art structures have generally required the production of a weld between the collar and the exterior of the generally tubular member and the production of such welds take great skill. Further, even when a skilled operator is producing such welds they may be weak due to poor filling thereof. Yet further, forces exerted on the brackets have been applied to such welds in a tensional, rather than a compressive manner thus increasing the likelihood of weld failure. Any solution to these prior art problems must take into account the fact that the generally tubular cross-member must be hollow in order to be sufficiently twistable to bucket forces which correspond to corner loading of the bucket or the like. In such circumstances the tubular cross-member acts as a torsion member.